Combined billfold and change purse



Jan. 5, 1965 c. CICERELLO COMBINED BILLFOLD AND CHANGE PURSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Dec. 10, 1963 CARMELLA C l CERELLO ATTORNEYS Jan. 5, 1965 c. CICERELLO COMBINED BILLFOLD AND CHANGE PURSE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 10, 1963 FIG. 5.

INVENTOR CARMELL A United States Patent 3,164,188 COMBINED BILLFGLD AND CHANGE PUESE Carmella Cicerello, 548 Geiger Ave. SW., R0. Box 472, Massillon, ()hio Filed Dec. 10, 1953, S91. No. szaasa 1 Claim. (ill. '150-3 5) The present invention relates to flexible pocket receptacles or wallets and, more particularly, to an improved combined billfold and change purse of simple, compact and lightweight form.

Heretofore, most wallets carried by both men and women are primarily intended to contain paper currency only, and/ or identification cards and other similar articles, with the result that the wallets are usually large and bulky, and are unsightly and unsuitable for casual use, or for use on formal occasions, particularly whdn wearing evening dress.

My invention was developed with particular regard for users who desire to carry on their person only a small quantity of paper currency, and a relatively small amount of change for convenient use on either general or special occasions. To this end, it has been the primary object of the present invention to provide a simple, compact and lightweight money receptacle for both paper currency and coins and which is also neat and attractive in appearance, with particular appeal to women, but also having appeal to those men who desire to carry on their person only a relatively small amount of money.

Another object of the invention is to provide an article of this kind which can be readily and economically manufactured from relatively inexpensive materials of any suitable type and with a minimum of waste.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and the novel features thereof defined in the appended claim.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the preferred form of my invention as seen in looking toward the outer face thereof in its fully open or extended condition;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 1 as seen in looking toward the opposite or inner face, with the currency retainer flap slightly displaced away from the main body member portion, and with the closure flap of the change purse displaced to an open position;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of my new combined billfold and change purse in its completely folded and closed position, as seen from one face thereof;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view similar to FIG. 3, but as seen from the opposite face;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the component parts of the combined billfold and change purse in a so-called exploded condition, with the broken lines and arrows illustrating the manner of assembly and folding of certain parts thereof; and

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a typical blank as utilized in forming the change purse and currency retainer flap, respectively, of the assembly depicted in FIG. 5.

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings, wherein 1 generally designates a longitudinally elongated rectangular body member portion which forms the main body of the wallet,

' and which may be formed of any suitable flexible material having appropriate strength and durability, such as natural or artificial leather, plastic, fabric, or the like. As best seen in FIGS. 1, 2 and 5, the main body member portion designated 1 is preferably composed of a single thickness of material, and is preferably of greater length than width so as to be slightly larger in size than the size of standard paper currency.

At one lateral edge of [the main body member porchange purse.

ice

tion 1, the body member portion is extended to provide a foldable closure flap designated 2, said closure flap preferably constituting an integral continuation of the main body member portion 1, and being foldable approximately on the line indicated at AA, as indicated in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the main body member portion 1 also being foldable approximately on the line BB, as indicated in these same FIGS. 1 and 2.

Secured to the main body member portion 1 at its end opposite to the closure flap 2 is a change purse designated 3, said change purse preferably being of double thickness of any appropriate material as aforementioned, but preferably corresponding to the material of the main body member portion 1. The change purse 3 is preferably rectangular in shape and of the same height as the main body member portion 1 so as to overlie approximately one-half of the main body member portion when it is secured thereto. As will be best seen in FIG. 2, the change purse 3 is stitched, or otherwise secured, to the main body member portion 1 at one extreme lateral edge of the main body member portion, and also preferably stitched, or otherwise secured, along the bottom edge of the change purse to the bottom longitudinal edge of the main body member portion. However, the folded edge and mouth of the change purse are unattached to the main body member pontion, thus allowing the change purse to be freely displaced away from the main body member portion to a limited extent so as to facilitate the insertion of the paper currency between the change purse and the main body member portion 1, with the ends of the paper currency being snugly received :therebetween and lying flat against the inner face of the main body member portion 1.

To assist in holding the opposite ends of the paper currency flat against the inner face of the main body member portion 1 in the zone of the end of the latter opposite the change purse 3, a retainer iiap 4 is preferably provided, with the bottom longitudinal edge of the retainer flap suitably secured, as by stitching, to the bottom longitudinal edge of the main body member portion 1, and with the retainer flap extending approximately to the upper edge of the main body member portion, and normally lying flat in a position located between the change purse 3 and the closure flap 2. The upper edge of the retainer flap is freely displaceable away from the main body member portion so as to facilitate insertion and removal of the paper currency, as will be obvious.

As will best be seen in reference to FIG. 2, the upper longitudinal edge of the change purse 3 defines the mouth of the change purse, and the change purse is preferably provided with a closure flap 5 which may be formed as an extension of one wall, preferably the inner wall of the As indicated by the broken arrows in FIG 2, the closure flap 5 is foldable along the upper edge of the change purse so that it can be overlapped flat against the outer wall of the change purse and thus prevent coins from being inadvertently displaced from the coin pocket within the change purse. Any suitable releasable fastener means, such as snap buttons 6, can be employed to hold the closure flap 5 in its closed position.

Similar snap fastener buttons 7 are also preferably provided on the end closure flap 2 of the wallet, so that when the wallet is folded on the lines A-A and B-B, it will assume a small, compact and neat condition, and will remain in such folded condition so long as the closure flap 2 is closed and secured by the snaps 7, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4.

In constructing my improved wallet having the form of a combined billfold and change purse, I preferably employ two separate blanks of material so as to minimize waste. One of these blanks is designated 8 in HG.

enemas 5, and defines the main body member portion 1, as well as the end closure flap 2. The other blank is designated 9, which initially is of rectangular form. In constructing the change purse from this latter blank, one corner thereof is cut out, as indicated in FIGS, and 6, to form the retainer flap 4-, while the opposite corner of the blank t? is utilized to form the closure flap 5 of the change purse. The remainder of the blanlr 9 is folded upon itself to form the inner and outer walls of the change purse, with the free lateral edges of the folded blank mounted upon the main body member portion 1 so as to be aligned with the extreme lateral edge of the main body member portion, In stitching the edges of the change purse together and the latter to the main body member portion, a continuous single or multiple row of stitching as indicated at it) may be extended completely around the wallet so as to give a decorative effect thereto, while at the same time simplifying the assembly and minimizing the cost of manufacture.

it will be obvious from the foregoing that in its assembled condition, the wallet is very compact and neat in appearance and is sufiiciently small in size when folded to the closed condition illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, so as to enable the same to be carried on the person without causing unsightly budges in the clothing.

. While the specific details have been herein shown and described, my invention is not confined thereto as changes and alterations may be made Without departing from the spirit thereof, as defined by the appended claim.

I claim:

A combined billfold and change purse, comprising a longitudinally elongated generally rectangular body member portion of greater length than width and composed of a single thickness of relatively flexible material of slightly larger size than standard paper currency, said body member portion being foldable on a transverse line at about the mid-point between the opposite lateral ends thereof, one end of said body member portion being foldably connected with a closure flap transversely foldable to overlie on the outer face of the body member portion when the latter is folded upon itself at its mid-point, cooperative fastener means on the closure flap and the outer face of the body member portion for releasably securing the end closure fiap in its overlying position aforesaid, a generally rectangular change purse overlying the inner face of the body member portion at the end of the latter opposite to the end closure flap aforesaid when the body member portion is unfolded to a fiat condition, said change purse having the form of a centrally folded blank of flexible material with the blank doubled upon itself to form walls and to form a closed edge at one lateral side thereof and extending transversely of the body member portion at the mid-point fold line of the body member portion, and the other edges of the folded blank being registered with the bottom, end and top edges, respectively, of the body member portion, a retainer flap formed of material corresponding to that of the change purse, said retainer fiap being generally rectangular and relatively narrow in form and extending transversely across the inner face of the body member portion from its bottom edge to its top edge and lying adjacent to but laterally spaced from the change purse and the end closure flap of the body member portion, respectively, a continuous row of stitching extending completely about the outer marginal edges of the combined body member portion and end closure flap, said stitching securing the bottom and outer lateral edges of the folded change purse blank to each other and also to the bottom and lateral edges respectively, of the body member pontion, but leaving the upper edges of :the folded blank free to form the mouth of a double-walled coin pocket closed along three edges and having its mouth disposed at the upper edge of the folded blank and lying approximately at the top longitudinal edge of the body member pontion, with the folded edge and mouth of the change purse being unattached to the body member portion so as to allow limited displacement of the change purse, as well as displacement of the retainer flap away from the body member portion for the reception of paper currency between the change purse and retainer flap at one side and the body member portion at the other side of the currency, a closure flap extended from one wall of the change purse at the mouth of the latter and being foldable to overlie the outer face of the opposite wall so as to close the mouth of the change purse, and fastener means for releasably securing the latter closure flap to said opposite wall of the change purse.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS Re. 17,327 6/29 l-Ialvorsen et al l5035 D. 157,289 2/50 Potter.

1,677,770 7/28 Harnsberger. 1,865,881 7/32 Ottinger l50--35 2,030,496 2/36 Buxton l5037 2,243,556 5/41 Folder l5tl--35 2,358,983 9/44 Lyndes, et al 38 2,596,13l 5/52 Darby, et al. i5034 2,658,544 11/53 Osaka l5G-34 2,955,633 16/60 Seitz l5035 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,264,675 5/61 France.

FRANKLEN T. GARRETT, Primary Examiner. 

